REST and RSS enabled access control panel

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus are provided for operating a security system. The method includes providing a security system having at least one sensor, coupling a detected state of the at least one sensor to a web server, the web server publishing the detected state and a remotely located user subscribing to receive the detected state of the at least one sensor via the publication by the web server.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the invention relates to security systems and moreparticularly to the control of security systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Security systems are generally known. Such systems typically include aphysical barrier (e.g., walls, doors, etc.) that define and protect asecured area and number of sensors placed around a periphery or withinthe secured area for the detection of intruders. The sensors may includeone or more switches placed on doors or windows. The sensors may alsoinclude passive infrared (PIR) detectors and/or motion detectors.

The sensors of a security system are typically connected to an accesscontrol panel. The control panel may be armed or disarmed by an occupantthrough a user interface on the control panel.

The control panel may typically be armed in one of two modes. In a firstalarm away mode, the control panel may monitor all sensors forintruders. In a second alarm stay mode, the control panel may onlymonitor sensors on a periphery of the protected space with interiorsensors deactivated.

Once armed, the control panel may monitor the appropriate set of sensorsbased upon the mode. Upon activation of an intrusion detection sensor,the control panel may activate a local alarm and/or send an alarm signalto a central monitoring station.

While such systems work well, they are difficult to adapt to differentreporting requirements. For example, security systems for small areasare typically structured to generate an alarm if any monitored sensor isactivated. Often the alarm is only reported locally. In the event thatone monitored sensor is to be given a higher priority and is to bereported to a central monitoring station, the panel must bereprogrammed. Accordingly, a need exists for move flexible methods ofadapting alarm systems to varying reporting requirements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 depicts an alarm system in accordance with an illustratedembodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 depicts a security system 10 used to protect a secured area 12shown generally in accordance with an illustrated embodiment of theinvention. Included within the security system 10 may be a number ofsensors 14, 16 and an access control panel 18.

The firmware of the panel 18 may be provided in such a way that thestatus of the panel 18 and sensors can be published to a predeterminednumber of authorized outside users under a hyper text transfer protocol(http). The status of sensors can also be exposed to inquiries throughthe Internet using a Representational State Transfer (REST) protocol sothat any authorized outside user can enter the appropriate universalresource locator (URL) and obtain status information using aconventional web browser. The use of the REST protocol avoids therequirement for host software within the panel 18 in cases where thefunctionality of the control panel 18 must be altered and where itbecomes necessary to provide the status of the panel 18 and individualsensors to outside users.

A Rich Site Summary (RSS) mechanism may be provided to allow authorizedoutside users to subscribe to status information from the system 10 thatis, in turn, pushed as an RSS feed to an RSS reader of the outside user.The RSS reader can be web based, desktop based or mobile device based.Since the RSS feed is an XML structure, it allows for the seamlessintegration of existing alarm panels 18 with changing reporting needs.

Turning now to the system 10, in general, a user interface 20 may beincluded within or located near the control panel 18. The user interface20 may include a keyboard 24 for entry of control commands and a display22 that displays status information. In this case, an authorized usermay enter a personal identification number (PIN) and an alarm away oralarm stay pushbutton to arm the system 10.

Also included within the control panel 18 is a number of processors 26,28 that process alarm events. For example, an alarm processor 26, 28 maymonitor the sensors 14, 16 for activation in the armed away or armedstay modes.

Included within the control panel 18 may be a web server processor 30that provides the functionality of a web site. The web server 30 mayoperate under the REST format.

Included within the web server processor 30 may be one or more httpdocuments (under the REST format) within files 32, 34. Each of thedocuments/files includes status information for the panel 18 or for atleast one of the sensors 14, 16 in an appropriate format (e.g., XML).

During normal operation the alarm processor 26, 28 monitors the statusof the panel 18 and sensors 14, 16 and writes status changes into one ormore of the files 32, 34. A publication processor 26, 28 operating underthe RSS format detects any changes to the files 32, 34 and publishes therespective http documents.

At least some of the files 32, 34 may be structured to receive commands(actions) from authorized outside users. In this case, a commandprocessor 26, 28 may monitor the files 32, 34 for changes from outsideparties and execute those commands within the control panel 18.

During set up of the system 10, a RSS reader 38 is provided within adestination device of each authorized outside user. The destinationdevice in this case could be a portable device (e.g., cell phone,iphone, Blackberry, etc.) 36 of the outside user. The destination devicecould also be a central monitoring station 40.

As part of the set up process, a set up technician may use the RSSreader 38 to subscribe to receive notification of changes to one or moreof the http documents within files 32, 34. In this case, each time thealarm processor 26, 28 writes a change into one of the files 32, 34,notification of the change and/or the http document within the file 32,34 may be sent to the authorized outside user 36, 40.

Alternatively, the outside user 36, 40 may enter the URL 42 of the httpdocument 32, 34 that the outside user 36, 40 wishes to review through aweb browser of the device 36, 40. In response, the web server 30responds with the http document including the requested statusindicator.

In general, subscription and access to http documents 32, 34 isdetermined during set up of the alarm system 10. Access to the webserver 30 is limited to the authorized outside users identified duringset up of the system 10.

As a specific example, the system 10 may have access controlinfrastructure for 3 doors (door #1, door #2 and door #3). Doors #1 and#2 provide access into less secured areas and door #3 is a high securityarea. As such, security personnel may be interested in monitoring thereal time alarms and status of only door #3.

In order to monitor only door #3 in a system originally designed tomonitor all 3 doors, a host application would have had to be installedwithin the secured area 12 to communicate with the control panel 18. Auser interface application would also have been needed to monitor thestatus events within the control panel 18 and report those events toauthorized users.

In the past, it has been difficult to integrate outside access intoexisting security systems. This difficulty has existed because of theproprietary protocols used in existing alarm panels or because of thenon-open nature of the application program interfaces (APIs) of the hostapplications.

Continuing with the above example, assume that the URL address of theweb server 30 is “http://panelService/.” Assume further that the URL ofthe devices (door #1, door #2 and door #3) is“http://panelService/devices, the event URL for retrieving statusinformation regarding changes in status is “http://panelService/events”and the action URL for sending commands to the system 10 is“http://panelService/actions.” It will be assumed that door #1 has adevice identifier (ID) of “DEV1”, door #2 has a device ID of “DEV2” anddoor #3 has an ID of “DEV3.”

Since the status of the devices is exposed using the REST enabled webserver 30 through the URL “http://panelService/devices”, the status ofdoor #1 can be obtained by entry of the URL“http://panelService/devices/devId=DEV1” through any web browser or froma small application using the HTTP request/response APIs providedthrough most programming languages. Similarly, the status of door #2 canbe obtained by entry of the URL “http://panelService/devices/devId=DEV2”and the status of door #3 can be obtained by entry of the URL“http://panelService/devices/devId=DEV3.”

Now assume that a valid card swipe through a sensor 14, 16 has an eventcode of “200”, an invalid card swipe has an event code of “201” and thecase of an access door being held open has an access code of “202.” Inthe case of the panel 18 having RSS support (as described above),outside users (clients) can subscribe to event changes via the URL“http://panelService/events.” In this case, the occurrence of events aredetected by the publication processor 26, 28 and published to authorizedusers 36, 40. Event details will be understood by the subscribing user36, 40 because event details are published along with the event code. Ifthe published event's code is “200”, then the client of the authorizeduser 36, 40 can interpret the event as a “Valid Card Swipe” and displaytext indicating this event along with the indicator “door #3.”

Actions to be executed by the system 10 can also be accomplished througha web browser of authorized users 36, 40 or a third party HTTPapplication via the URL “http://panelService/actions” with theappropriate parameter. For example, to shunt the sensor on door #1, theuser may enter the URL/command“http://panelService/actions/devId=DEV1|Action=SHUNT.” In this case, theREST format provides the necessary features for parsing thisrequest/command and taking the appropriate action.

In general, virtually any third party application can be used by anauthorized user to communicate with the panel 18 to request informationand execute commands using the standards provided by HTTP, REST and RSS.This approach enables the system 10 to be seamlessly integrated withchanging reporting requirements.

A specific embodiment of method and apparatus for provide remote accesshas been described for the purpose of illustrating the manner in whichthe invention is made and used. It should be understood that theimplementation of other variations and modifications of the inventionand its various aspects will be apparent to one skilled in the art, andthat the invention is not limited by the specific embodiments described.Therefore, it is contemplated to cover the present invention and any andall modifications, variations, or equivalents that fall within the truespirit and scope of the basic underlying principles disclosed andclaimed herein.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: providing a securitysystem that protects a secured area, the security system having at leastone sensor and an access control panel; an alarm processor of the accesscontrol panel monitoring the at least one sensor for activation andwriting any changes in a state of the at least one sensor into a statusfile of the at least one sensor; a web site processor of the accesscontrol panel providing the functionality of a web site monitoring forand detecting any changes in the status file of the at least one sensor;a remotely located user subscribing to receive the detected state of theat least one sensor; and the web site processor publishing notificationof the detected change by pushing notification of the detected change tothe subscribing remotely located user.
 2. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising operating the web site under a representational statetransfer (REST) format.
 3. The method of claim 1 further comprisingpublishing the state under a rich site summary (RSS) format.
 4. Themethod of claim 1 further comprising the alarm processor within thealarm panel that monitors the at least one sensor transferring any statechanges to the web server.
 5. The method of claim 4 further comprisingthe alarm processor writing the state changes into a web page of the webserver.
 6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the web serverdetecting the changes to the web page and publishing the change to theuser.
 7. Apparatus comprising: a security system having at least onesensor; a web server operating under a REST format; a plurality of httpdocuments, each saved in a respective file identified by a URLassociated with the web server; an alarm processor that couples adetected state of the at least one sensor into a least one of the httpdocuments of the web server wherein the web server monitors for anddetects any changes in the at least one of the http documents and, inresponse, publishes the detected state; and a remotely located user thatsubscribes to receive the detected state of the at least one sensor andreceives the detected state of the at least one sensor via anotification pushed to the subscribing remotely located user by the webserver.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein at least one of theplurality of http documents receives commands from the remotely locateduser.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the security system executesthe received commands from the remotely located user.
 10. The apparatusof claim 7 further comprising publishing the state under a rich sitesummary (RSS) format.
 11. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprisingproviding a publication processor within the alarm panel that monitorsan http document of the plurality of http documents for changes andpublishes the document in response to the change.
 12. The apparatus ofclaim 10 further comprising the alarm processor writing the statechanges into a web page of the web server.
 13. Apparatus comprising: asecurity system having at least one sensor that detects entry into asecured area; a web server operating under a REST format; at least onehttp document containing a state of the at least one sensor; an alarmprocessor of the security system that monitors the at least one sensorfor activation and writes any changes in a state of the at least onesensor into the at least one http document, wherein the web servermonitors for and detects any changes to the at least one http documentand where the at least one http document is published by the web serverin response to a change in the state of the sensor; and a remotelylocated user that subscribes to receive the detected state of the atleast one sensor and receives the detected state of the at least onesensor via a notification pushed to the remotely located user from theweb server.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising an alarmprocessor that couples a detected state of the at least one sensor intothe http documents of the web server.
 15. The apparatus of claim 13further comprising a plurality of http documents where at least one ofthe plurality of http documents receives commands from the remotelylocated user.
 16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the security systemexecutes the received commands from the remotely located user.
 17. Theapparatus of claim 13 further comprising publishing the state under arich site summary (RSS) format.
 18. The apparatus of claim 13 furthercomprising providing a publication processor within the alarm panel thatmonitors the http document for event changes and publishes the documentin response to the change.
 19. The apparatus of claim 17 furthercomprising the alarm processor writing the state changes into a web pageof the web server.
 20. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising theremotely located user downloads a state of the at least one sensor via apredetermined URL.